How TradFi Views Crypto with VanEck’s Pranav Kanade

What do billion-dollar asset managers really think about your token?Pranav Kanade manages Digital Assets Alpha Fund, an actively managed crypto strategy at VanEck, one of the world’s largest asset managers with over $116B in assets under management. In this episode, Amanda and Pranav unpack how traditional finance approaches the space, how they evaluate projects, what good tokenomics actually look like, and why most founders misunderstand what institutional investors care about.They dive into Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and even a few DePIN projects and dig into why some play well with capital allocators while others don’t stand a chance. Pranav shares what makes a token investable, how he thinks about liquidity, governance, and incentives, and what’s still broken in the DeFi–TradFi bridge.This episode pulls back the curtain on what it takes for a crypto project to earn the attention of a firm like VanEck and reveals how institutions really view the space.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Pranav's Journey from TradFi to Crypto03:04 Defining Good Crypto Investments05:59 The Importance of Tokenomics08:52 Buyback and Burn Mechanisms12:10 The Impact of Financialization on Technology15:01 Strategies for Token Generation Events18:13 Building Trust in Crypto Projects21:06 The Future of Multi-Token ETFs24:08 Exciting Developments in Tokenized Equities29:36 Tesla's Path to Robotaxis31:59 The Role of Centralized Exchanges32:54 User Experience in DeFi vs. TradFi34:32 The Future of Crypto and TradFi Integration38:01 The Ideal End State for Crypto40:15 Predictions in the Crypto Market41:45 AI Agents and Financial Transactions44:28 AI and Crypto Crossover Opportunities47:03 The Future of Stablecoins49:50 The Power Law in Currencies50:52 Quality of People in CryptoRESOURCES Pranav on X: @vaneckpk https://x.com/vaneckpk Subscribe to Endgame: https://www.youtube.com/@endgamepodcast Amanda on X: https://x.com/amandacassatt Serotonin on X: https://x.com/serotonin Endgame on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/45B9szUxVXEwfCDA6uRxwq?si=HT9XXqF9Q2CcM9hfLbmkVg Endgame on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endgame-with-amanda-cassatt/id1801809440 Substack: https://substack.com/@UCInZsV3L1nDGoFjxoNUnPQQ

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